Electronic air cleaners are an extremely efficient, cost effective method of removing indoor air contaminants. Unlike standard media filters that merely collect relatively large particles, electronic air cleaners attract and hold particles so small that an electron microscope is needed to see them.
Room air is drawn into the front end of the air cleaner by a small, quiet, 3-speed fan. Lint, hair and large dust particles are caught by the grill or pre-filter. Only the small, microscopic particles pass through the grill and pre-filter into the heart of the air cleaner, the electronic cell. The first section of the electronic cell ionizes the pollutant particles as they pass through the powerful electric field created by the ionizing wires. These charged particles then enter the collector section which is comprised of a series of aluminum plates of alternating positive charge and ground. The collector plates repel the positively charged particles towards the ground plates. Accumulated particles are permanently removed from the air and cling to the plates until they are washed off. The air is then pushed through an activated carbon filter to remove objectionable odors before being recirculated back into the room. This cleaning process will continue as long as room air is circulated through the air cleaner. The more the air cleaner operates, the cleaner the air will be.
Generally, the present invention includes a cabinet, one electronic cell, a 3-speed fan, two grills, one pre-filter, one carbon filter, and a high voltage power supply. The lid or access cover contains a 3-speed switch to control the fan speed. An indicator light indicates the air cleaner is operating properly. When the lid is removed, a master switch interrupts the power supply to the unit. When the carbon filter is removed, an interlock switch prevents the unit from operating even though the lid is properly in place. The air cleaner is intended for use at temperatures normally found in the home or work areas.
Electronic air cleaning devices are presently enjoying favorable acceptance with the consuming public, due in part to the increasing bias against cigarette smokers in the work and travel environments and the increasing public awareness of air pollution.
Air cleaning devices help alleviate these problems by removing particulate matter such as dust or smoke particles from the air. Air cleaning devices known in the art are generally comprised of a rectangular cabinet containing a mechanical air filter (and/or a carbon filter), an electronic cell to precipitate particulate matter, and an electrically driven fan. Frequently, these air cleaning devices, especially the larger capacity air cleaning devices designed to accommodate and cleanse the air from rooms, require routine maintenance, service or repair. This repair or servicing usually requires access to the interior components of the air cleaning device. With the prior art devices, air cleaning technicians are required to go through the laborious process of using hand tools such as screw drivers to unscrew or otherwise remove the walls or floors of the air cleaners to gain access to the electrical components. That is, prior art air cleaning devices require the use of tools such as screw drivers and pliers to remove the lids and/or side walls of the air cleaning device to gain access to the fan, electronic cell, power supply or other electronic components thereof. This time consuming effort makes both service and repair more costly.
Air cleaning devices are presently made with cabinet components such as left and right side walls and front and rear end walls, and lids. These cabinet components are asymmetrical in nature. That is, present electronic air cleaning devices require nonidentical left and right sides, and front and rear end walls, which are not interchangeable. A right side wall is not interchangeable with a left side wall nor are the front and rear end walls interchangeable.
Thus, assembly of present air cleaning devices necessitates the manufacture and assembly of left side walls and right side walls and front and rear end walls specifically, interchangeability not being featured.
Electronic air cleaning devices are presently assembled using numerous individual mechanical and electrical parts such as: a fan, a motor, a shroud, separate electrical wires, various control switches and the like. However, both the assembly and repair of such prior art air cleaning devices requires difficulty in access to and replacement of individual components.
An example of the air cleaners as described above is the Honeywell model number F59A. This air cleaning device features an exterior cabinet made of pressed wood and has a pedestal base, two side walls, a front and rear filter and a top. These exterior members are attached generally with either glue or by brackets and screws, and the interior parts: electric motor, shroud, electrical wiring, switches, are not modular but are individually attached to the base or side walls using brackets and screws. Because of the location, and mechanical mounting of the individual electrical parts of the Honeywell F59A, repair, service and routine maintenance to the Honeywell air cleaner requires the technician to remove the side walls and lid using a screwdriver or other tool, and go through the base of the device before gaining access to the power supply. Frequent dismantling of the walls of the Honeywell air cleaning device often results in the screws finally stripping their wooden thread seats.
In the manufacture and assembly of such an air cleaning device such as the Honeywell F59A described above, left and right side walls are required to be manufactured to different specifications, as is true of the front and rear end walls. Moreover, in assembly, a left side wall must be matched to a corresponding right side wall and the fan motor and other electronic parts must be mechanically mounted to specific locations within the base or side walls.